Topic 2 & 3 The Global Economic and Trade Environment (Updated)
Topic 2 & 3 The Global Economic and Trade Environment (Updated)
Topic 2 & 3 The Global Economic and Trade Environment (Updated)
Topic 2
• https://data.worldbank.org/country
• https://www.imf.org/en/Countries
• https://www.weforum.org/
• http://www.oecd.org/
• https://www.wto.org/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_integration
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_multilateral_free-
trade_agreements
Government trade portals
https://www.miti.gov.my/index.php
https://www.matrade.gov.my/en/export-to-the-world
Learning Objectives
2.1 Identify and briefly explain major changes in the world economy over
the last 100 years
2.2 Compare and contrast types of economic systems that are found in
the different regions of the world
2.3 Explain the stages of economic development used by the World Bank
and identify the key emerging country markets at each stage of
development.
3.1 Explain the role of the WTO in facilitating global trade relations among
nations.
3.2 Compare and contrast the four main categories of preferential trade
agreements.
The World Economy-An Overview
• In the early 20th century economic integration was at 10%;
today it is 60%
• EU and NAFTA are very integrated
• Global competitors have displaced or absorbed local ones
https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/economics/economic
-integration/
https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Is
sues/2023/10/10/world-economic-outlook-
october-2023
https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmentt
alk/global-economic-outlook-five-charts-0
https://www.weforum.org/reports/chief-
economists-outlook-jan-2023/
https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/
2.1 Identify and briefly explain major changes in the
world economy over the last 100 years
• The first change is the increased volume of capital movements – the
flows of foreign currency between countries. Global capital
movements now far exceed the dollar volume of global trade. In other
words, currency trading represents the world’s largest market.
https://seller.alibaba.com/
https://www.bigcommerce.com/articles/ecommerce/global-
commerce/
https://www.shopify.my/enterprise/global-ecommerce-statistics
2.2 Compare and contrast types of economic systems
that are found in the different regions of the world
Market capitalism is an economic system in which individuals and firms allocate resources and
production resources are privately owned. Simply put, consumers decide what goods they desire
and firms determine what and how much of those goods to produce; the role of the state in market
capitalism is to promote competition among firms and to ensure consumer protection. E.g. USA
At the opposite end of the spectrum from market capitalism is centrally planned socialism. In this
type of economic system, the state has broad powers to serve the public interest as it sees fit. State
planners make “top-down” decisions about what goods and services are produced and in what
quantities; consumers can spend their money on what is available. Government ownership of entire
industries as well as individual enterprises is characteristic of centrally planned socialism. E.g. North
Korea.
Market Capitalism
• Individuals and firms allocate resources
• Production resources are privately owned
• Driven by consumers
• Government’s role is to promote competition among firms
and ensure consumer protection
Centrally Planned Socialism
• Opposite of market capitalism
• State holds broad powers to serve the public interest; decides
what goods and services are produced and in what quantities
• Consumers can spend only what is available
• Government owns entire industries and controls distribution
• Demand typically exceeds supply
• Little reliance on product differentiation, advertising, pricing
strategy
• China and India are now moving towards some market
allocation and private ownership
Centrally Planned Capitalism
• Economic system in which command resource allocation is
used extensively in an environment of private resource
ownership
• Example:
– In Sweden, where 2/3 of all expenditures are controlled
by the government, resource allocation is more “voter”
oriented than “market” oriented. Sweden’s “welfare
state” has a hybrid system that has elements of both
centrally planned socialism and capitalism. Swedish
gov’t ownership: TeliaSonera, telecom, 45%; Nordea,
banking, 20%, OMX stock exchange, 7%, SAS airline,
21%.
Market Socialism
• permits market allocation policies within an overall
environment of state ownership
• e.g. China gives freedom to businesses/individuals to
operate in a market system.
Economic Freedom
• Rankings of economic freedom among countries
– “free” “mostly free” “mostly unfree” “repressed”
• Variables considered include such things as:
– Trade policy
– Taxation policy
– Capital flows and foreign investment
– Banking policy
– Wage and price controls
– Property rights
– Black market
Economic Freedom-2023 Rankings
https://www.heritage.org/index/ranking
Economic Freedom
https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/economic
-freedom-of-the-world-2023.pdf
2.3 Explain the stages of economic development used
by the World Bank and identify the key emerging
country markets at each stage of development
https://datatopics.worldbank.org/world-development-
indicators/the-world-by-income-and-region.html
https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/arti
cles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups
Low-Income Countries
• GNI per capita of $1,135 or less
• Characteristics
– Limited industrialization
– High percentage of population in farming
– High birth rates
– Low literacy rates
– Heavy reliance on foreign aid
– Political instability and unrest
– Concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa
Lower-Middle-Income Countries
• GNI per capita: $1,136 to $4,465
• Characteristics
– Rapidly expanding consumer markets
– Cheap motivated labor
– Mature, standardized, labor-intensive industries like
footwear, textiles, and toys
• 50 bottom-ranked countries are LDCs- least developed
countries
• India is the only BRICS nation in lower-middle-income group.
• Tajikistan and Uzbekistan may be opportunities for economic
growth
Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP): misconceptions
(1) The poor have no money. In Bangladesh villagers
spend considerable sums to use village phones
operated by local entrepreneurs;
(2) the poor are too concerned with fulfilling basic needs
to "waste" money on nonessential goods. Consumers
who are too poor to purchase a house do buy luxury
goods such as televisions and cell phones;
(3) the goods sold in developing markets are so
inexpensive that there is no room for a new market
entrant to make a profit. Since the poor often pay
higher prices for many goods, there is an opportunity
for efficient competitors to realize attractive margins
by offering quality and low prices;
(4) people in BOP markets cannot use advanced
technology. Residents of rural areas can and do
quickly learn to use cell phones and PCs; and
(5) global companies that target BOP markets will be
criticized for exploiting the poor. A global company
offering basic goods and services that improve a
country's standard of living can earn a reasonable
return while benefiting society.
Upper-Middle-Income Countries
GNI per capita: $4,466 to $13,845
Characteristics:
• Rapidly industrializing, less
agricultural employment
• Increasing urbanization
• Rising wages
• High literacy rates and advanced Nestle invested $83 billion for this
education plant in Brazil and millions more
around the country.
• Lower wage costs than advanced
countries https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/N
Y.GNP.PCAP.CD?locations=MY
• BRICS: Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa
Newly Industrializing Economies (NIEs)
• Lower-middle and upper-middle-income economies with
high sustained rates of economic growth
– Greater industrial output than developing economies
– Exports of manufactured and refined products
– Next -11 (N-11) a new country grouping identified by
Goldman Sachs
▪ Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico,
Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Turkey, and Vietnam
High-Income Countries (1 of 2)
• GNI per capita: $13,846 or more
• Also known as advanced, developed, industrialized, or
postindustrial countries
• Characteristics:
– Sustained economic growth through disciplined
innovation
– Households have extremely high ownership levels of
basic products
High-Income Countries (2 of 2)
• Characteristics, continued:
– Importance of information processing and exchange
– Ascendancy of knowledge over capital, intellectual
over machine technology, scientists and
professionals over engineers and semiskilled
workers
– Future oriented
– Importance of interpersonal relationships
G-7, The Group of Seven
• Goal of global economic
stability and prosperity
– U.S.
The Group of Seven (G7) is an inter-governmental forum
– Japan consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan,
the United Kingdom and the United States. In addition,
– Germany the European Union is a 'non-enumerated member'. Its
members are the world's largest IMF advanced
– France economies and wealthiest liberal democracies; The group is
officially organized around shared values
– Britain of pluralism and representative government. As of 2020, the
collective group accounts for over 50 percent of global net
– Canada wealth (which is $418 trillion), 32 to 46 percent of
global gross domestic product, and approximately 770 million
– Italy people or 10 percent of the world's population. Members
are great powers in global affairs and maintain mutually
close political, economic, social, legal, environmental,
military, religious, cultural, and diplomatic relations.
G-20, Group of Twenty
• Established in 1999
• https://g20.org/
The G20 or Group of Twenty is an inter-governmental forum
comprising 19 countries and the European Union (EU). It works to
address major issues related to the global economy, such as
international financial stability, climate change mitigation,
and sustainable development.
Topic 3
https://rtais.wto.org/UI/PublicMaintainRTAHome.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preferential_trading_area
3.2 Compare and contrast the four main categories of
economic integration.
An economic union, such as the EU, the highest level of economic integration,
is achieved by unification of economic policies and institutions. Harmonization,
the coming together of varying standards and regulations, is a key
characteristic of the EU.
Economic Integration
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_integration
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/region_e/rta_plurilateral_map_e.htm
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/region_e/region_e.htm
Free Trade Area
• Two or more countries agree
to abolish tariffs and other
barriers to trade amongst
themselves
• Countries continue
independent trade policies
with countries outside
agreement
Protesters opposed a trade
• Rules of origin requirements agreement in Vienna, 2016
restrict transshipment of
goods from the country with
the lowest tariff to another
ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)
• The ten ASEAN nations launched an economic bloc called the ASEAN Economic
Community (AEC). The AEC is the realization of the region’s end goal of economic
integration. It envisions ASEAN as a single market and product base, a highly
competitive region, with equitable economic development, and fully integrated into the
global economy.
• The history of AEC can be traced back as far as 1992 when the ASEAN Leaders
mandated the creation of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA). Since then, efforts were
intensified to broaden the region’s economic potentials. The adoption of ASEAN Vision
2020 by the Leaders in 1997 has further envisaged ASEAN as a highly competitive
region with free flow of goods, services, investments, a freer flow of capital, equitable
economic development and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities.
• Although tariffs have been cut in the region, nontariff barriers, including cumbersome
labor laws, lack of harmonization in product standards, and bureaucracy, are some of the
issues that have yet to be resolved.
• Also, ASEAN is not a customs union, so import/export activities are conducted with
different procedures. As a result, goods can languish in ports for weeks while documents
are reviewed and approved. Much work remains to be done before the AEC evolves into
a customs union or common market.
https://asean.org/our-communities/economic-
community/
Customs Union
• Evolution of Free Trade Area
• Includes the elimination of internal barriers to trade (as
in FTA)
• And establishes common external barriers (CETs) to
trade - A common external tariff is an import tariff
applied equally by each country participating in a
customs union
– Examples: Andean Community (CAN), Caribbean
Community (CARICOM)
Common Market
• A common market is a type of trade bloc in which most
trade barriers have been removed (for goods) with some
common policies on product regulation, and freedom of
movement of the factors of production (capital and labour)
and of enterprise and services.
• Includes the elimination of internal barriers to trade (as in
free trade area)
• And establishes common external barriers to trade (as in
customs union)
• And allows for the free movement of factors of
production, such as labor, capital, and information
• Example - East African Common Market
Economic Union (1 of 2)
• Includes the elimination of internal barriers to trade (as in
free trade area)
• And establishes common external barriers to trade (as in
customs union)
• And allows for the free movement of factors of production,
such as labor, capital, and information (as in common
market)
• And coordinates and harmonizes economic and social
policy within the union
• Example - In the European Union, countries must
harmonize their licensing standards so that professionals
such as doctors or lawyers qualified in one country may
work in another. Harmonization is an important concept to
be stressed.
Economic Union (2 of 2)
• Full evolution of economic union
– creation of unified central bank
– use of single currency
– common policies on issues such as agriculture, social
policy, transport, competition, mergers, taxation
– requires extensive political unity
– would lead to a central government in time
https://european-union.europa.eu/index_en
European Union impact on marketing strategies
• The European Union has concluded over 20 different trade pacts with other nations. The business
environment in Europe has undergone considerable transformation with significant implications for all
elements of the marketing mix.
• For example, there is harmonization of product standards, thereby reducing the number of
adaptations needed in each country.
• Similarly, from a pricing point of view the environment has become more competitive. Common
guidelines are also set for promotion and distribution. Thus, all components of the marketing mix are
getting standardized and harmonized.
• Corporations are beginning to treat the entire region as one entity with very little adaptation. For
example, France will be able to shop around for distributions of products or services and select the
best one in any member country. This selection can be based on cost, quality, or local preferences.
• Food safety laws can also be made uniform with some modifications that can be adapted. The
members in the European Union will find it easier to do business at any of the member countries
including setting up of manufacturing plants or headquarters. It will also help in balancing the
inventory and moving products from one country to another in case of shortages